Archbishop Dolan's Thought for the Week

December 4, 2007


What does the Church most need today?

Ask that at coffee break and prepare to go overtime!

What is the greatest need for the Church today? Do we need more people at Mass, more priests, more vocations? Do we need more committed marriages, more solid families, more efforts on behalf of social justice, peace, pro-life and charity? Do we need more schools, more lifelong faith formation, more parishes? Do we need more money and strategic planning? Do we need more change in the Church’s doctrine and practice, or more rigorous enforcement of faith and morals?

Here’s my entry: the Church needs more sinners!

I mean it! We lack persons who humbly recognize their own sins and are willing to confess them.

A good friend of mine is pastor of one of the most prestigious parishes anywhere. His parishioners include wealthy movers and shakers, prominent leaders in business, government, education, and healthcare. It’s an attractive parish complex with a stunning array of services and ministries, and gads of cash to fund them. If he were crass he’d say, “I’ve got it made.”

You can imagine how stunned his people -- who love him -- were one Sunday when he told them he was thinking of requesting a transfer.

“You don’t need me here,” he explained as the people gasped. “Like Jesus, I came to call sinners. And apparently we have none here. I’ve heard maybe a half-dozen confessions since I got here six-months ago. You’re obviously all saints; I came to serve sinners. You don’t need me.”

Sinners Requested: Inquire Within , as one parish put on its outside message board.

It’s Advent . We prepare for the coming of Christ our Savior . He came to save us. From what? If from war, oppression, poverty, and violence, He should have stayed at home, because 2,000 years later, we still got them.

Nope. He came to save us from sin . (Then, of course, the above problems would be settled, too.)

And, unless we admit we need saving, ‘cause we’ve got sin , He can hardly save us.

The Church needs sinners who admit they are and crave God’s saving grace and mercy, generously ours in our Savior, Jesus.

Advent is for sinners.

We say Christmas is for children. Okay . . . but also for those childlike enough to admit they are sinners . . . and need a savior .

A blessed Advent!

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan

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